A father’s words of wisdom can stick with a little girl for a lifetime, and this dad certainly knows a few things about making his daughter feel appreciated and beautiful, both inside and out. Dr. Kelly Flanagan, a licensed clinical psychologist, first shared this note to his little one on his blog, UnTangled. The message
Flanagan penned the letter while browsing the makeup aisle at Target, realizing that someday people may not see his daughter the same way he does: “They’ll see her as a pretty face and a body to enjoy. And they’ll tell her she has to look a certain way to have any worth or influence. But words do have power and maybe, just maybe, the words of a father can begin to compete with the words of the world. Maybe a father’s words can deliver his daughter through the gauntlet of institutionalized shame and into a deep, unshakeable sense of her own worthiness and beauty.”
He encourages his daughter to cultivate the kind of real strength that comes from within the heart–that will allow her to go out into the world and be “a force to be reckoned with.” Flanagan wants her to know that her dreams are to be found first within herself, and then passionately pursued “with integrity and hope.”
He tells her to “say what’s in your heart” and be willing to “be vulnerable” and a risk taker: “Love a world that barely knows how to love itself.” And though he acknowledges that her looks will change with age, he says this about the ageless soul: “It will always know how to play and how to enjoy and how to revel in this one-chance life. May you always defiantly resist the aging of your spirit.” And every night before bedtime, he asks his daughter the same question: “Where are you the most beautiful?” He hopes she continues to answer “on the inside.”
Good for You, Dr. Flanagan for touching our hearts! Have some heartfelt words you want to share with those you love? Send them a Good for You message to let them know how special they are!
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